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By Joanne Green

In Religion

Religion is often cited as a reason against assisted suicide being sanctioned yet it is difficult to trace if there are any global opinion-poll results of those opinions. Eurostat gives asylum statistics for applicants fearing persecution for their religious beliefs in addition to other beliefs because of those applicants deviating from the normative-beliefs of their birth country (European Commission Eurostat, 2012). The Office for National Statistics categorises religions as affiliates in England and Wales and further by majority, minority and other which has deviated from normative religious. In 2011 of the majority affiliates totalled over 59% of the population and were Christian, over 4% Muslim and 25% declared they were not religious (Office for National Statistics, 2012). The minority affiliates of the population over 1% were Hindu and below 1% were Sikh, Jewish and Buddhist. All of the other were below 1% and were Pagan and Spiritualist and of Mixed religion (Jain, Ravidassia). Neither Eurostat nor Office for National Statistics gives statistical opinions of assisted dying or in religious context or in specific countries, is this because there is no opinion or is it because opinion has not been asked for?

By Joanne Green

Protecting the UK environment has been in and dealt with by the current government’s political agenda. In 2011 the Environment Minister Richard Benyon released a Written Ministerial Statement promising to create, ‘a network of national protected areas in British seas to ensure our underwater wildlife flourishes in years to come’ (Benyon, 2011). These zones are being delivered by DEFRA and were prepared by leading scientists in Natural England and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2013).